The effects of a situational and an individual differences variable on changes in bias and sensitivity during a proofreading task are examined. Externally set goals provided situational parameters while the Type A-B behavior pattern provided a measure of individual differences. Subjects responded to goals of increasing difficulty by increasing their performance as measured by the amount of text proofread and by decreasing their sensitivity. Thus, subjects attempted to meet a situational demand to produce more by increasing the quantity of their output at the expense of quality.
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